Virgin Voyages is the latest cruise line to announce it will reroute a ship around Africa instead of attempting to pass through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
The line has changed three itineraries as it reroutes the Resilient Lady to the Mediterranean, beginning with its 15-day March 27 sailing from Sydney to Singapore, its 14-day April 11 sailing from Singapore to Dubai and its 14-day April 25 sailing from Dubai to Athens.
The ship will instead depart from Sydney on a new route that will include extended time at sea with calls in Eden and Fremantle (Perth), Australia; Port Louis, Mauritius Islands; Durban and Cape Town, South Africa; Walvis Bay, Namibia; Praia, Cape Verde; Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; Barcelona; Valletta, Malta; and Santorini and Piraeus (Athens), Greece.
Guests on any of the three former sailings will have guaranteed spots on the new sailing at no additional cost. Guests who do not wish to sail the new itinerary can receive a future voyage credit based on their paid balance or a full refund.
The line said it would protect commissions for advisors, which it refers to as First Mates.
The line is reviewing other geographically similar repositioning voyages and linked sailings and will provide an update in the coming weeks about any other changes.